Image source, Getty Images

There was some discussion after the game as to who should take credit for Arsenal's free-kick opener - taker Declan Rice or specialist set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.

After 338 games in his professional career Rice had never scored a free-kick, attempting 12 prior to Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid.

After 339 he'd scored two.

Jover wheeled off in celebration after the first of those two free-kicks and Rice said afterwards that the coach was "claiming it".

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta added: "He can claim it if he wants, it doesn't matter. It's incredible."

Image source, Getty Images

This is a big IF, considering Arsenal still have to play the away leg at 15-time European champions Real Madrid.

But the draw has already been made for the semi-finals, so the Gunners know they will play either Aston Villa or Paris St-Germain IF they make it past the defending champions.

Unai Emery's Aston Villa did the double over Arsenal in the Premier League last season and while they lost 2-0 at home to the Gunners in August managed a 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium in January.

PSG, meanwhile, will have built up plenty of experience playing against the Premier League's elite, should they make it past Villa in the quarter-finals to set up a last-four tie against Arsenal.

Luis Enrique's newly-crowned Ligue 1 champions lost 2-0 at Arsenal in the league phase before recovering to qualify for the knockout stages after claiming a thrilling 4-2 victory at home to Manchester City.

They then knocked out Liverpool on penalties in the last 16.

Image source, Getty Images

Thibaut Courtois, among the best goalkeepers in the world and guarding the Real Madrid goal last night, had no answer for either of Declan Rice's two free-kicks last night.

But did the Belgian custodian really stand any chance of saving them? According to the numbers, he had very little.

The Arsenal midfielder's second free-kick against Real Madrid carried an expected shot on Target of 0.97, according to The xG Philosophy on X.

It meant that a goalkeeper would only be expected to save it 3% of the time.

In other words, even the world's best would've been mere spectators to Rice's brilliance.

Our friends at Opta have calculated the chance of both of Declan Rice's free-kicks going in.

Like Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta alluded to earlier, the chances of Rice scoring either of his goals were slim, never mind both.

Via Opta's expected goals (xG) model, Rice's first free-kick had an xG of 0.037 (3.7%) and his second had an xG of 0.063 (6.3%).

The probability of scoring both of those comes in at a combined total of 0.23%. Or put in Layman's terms, a 1 in 434.8 chance.

That means that in theory, if the match was played out 435 times and Rice took both of the free-kicks he scored again, in only one of them would he have scored both free-kicks in the same match.

Image source, Opta

Only four players had scored two free-kicks in a single match in the Champions League before Declan Rice.

And no one had done so previously in the knockout stages of the competition before the England midfielder's sensational outing last night.

The first player to score two free-kick goals in a match in Europe's top-tier club competition was Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo who did so while claiming a hat-trick for Barcelona in a 3-3 draw with AC Milan.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice straight from set-pieces on his first Champions League appearance for Real Madrid as the Spanish giants beat Zurich 5-2 in 2009.

Here are the five players to score two free-kick goals in a single Champions League match:

• Declan Rice v Real Madrid in 2025
• Hakim Ziyech v Manchester United in 2023
• Neymar v Red Star Belgrade in 2018
• Cristiano Ronaldo v Zurich in 2009
• Rivaldo v AC Milan in 2000

Matthew Upson
Former Arsenal defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

You [the commentary team] are tucked under the first tier that comes down [at Emirates Stadium], so you get a little bit of a letter box view here from right of the back of this stand.

Right all around us is a real hive of intense Arsenal support and they were just going off. They were running up and down the steps, climbing on the fencing. I've not seen reaction to goals like that ever sat here.

We were right in the thick of it. They were coming up to the side of us, shouting, tapping you on the back, on the shoulder. It was just mayhem.

This game produced some real top-class moments that all these supporters will remember for a long, long time.

Image source, Getty Images

David Ornstein
The Athletic's football correspondent on 5 Live Breakfast

Arsenal in the second half gave one of the greatest English, British, European performances, in my belief, that we've ever seen, certainly at the top tier of this competition. And they deserved it.

They may be kicking themselves that they didn't score more goals because they were peppering Thibaut Courtois, who stood up amazingly. But what they did is going to be remembered for a long time to come.

Declan Rice specifically has almost etched himself into Arsenal and English football history. However, Arsenal need to finish the job. It is not done yet.

BBC 5 Live Breakfast

Arsenal supporter Laura Kirk on 5 Live Breakfast:

"I’ve woken up this morning and I am kind of like – did that happen? Did I dream that?

"Just absolutely incredible - probably the best night that I’ve ever been to at the Emirates.

"I'm sort of in shock a little bit because I think Arsenal have obviously had a kind of difficult season, stuttering a little bit, getting going, but then with these injuries, that seems to have just come out of nowhere.

"The atmosphere was stunning.

"Declan Rice, I'd had no idea that he had that in his wheelhouse. It was amazing."

Image source, Getty Images

Real Madrid have now lost five games in the competition this season, albeit in the new league phase format, and that tally equals a club record.

Madrid have never overturned a three-goal first leg deficit in the knockout stages of this competition.

And Arsenal's victory was the 12th time an English side have won by three or more goals in the first leg of a Champions League knockout stage tie, and every time the English side has gone through to the next round.

Still... you know what they say: "Never write off Real Madrid" said BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Andros Townsend.

The Daily Telegraph

Image source, Daily Telegraph

It's not only The Sun who are making comparisons between Declan Rice and David Beckham.

Like them, the Daily Telegraph are also using the headline 'Bend it like Declan'.

The Sun

While Arsenal's performance was superb, Declan Rice's two free-kicks are taking plenty of the plaudits.

The back of the Daily Mirror uses the headline 'Rice, Rice baby!'

Image source, Daily Mirror

Inspiring headline writers around the country was BBC Radio 5 Live's Ian Dennis, commentating on a spine-tingling night at Emirates.

Listen to the best moments, reaction, interviews and analysis on the Football Daily podcast, via BBC Sounds.

The Sun

The back pages are all focussing on Arsenal's incredible win over Real Madrid.

The Sun have used the headline 'Bend it like Declan' as a nod to the 2002 film, 'Bend it like Beckham'.

Image source, The Sun

We also have a poll running now at the top of this page and we want to hear your thoughts.

Are Arsenal now favourites to win the Champions League?

We will bring you the results of the poll later today.

As always, we want to hear all of your thoughts on that famous win for Arsenal over Real Madrid.

How does that rank among the Gunners' greatest wins in Europe and at the Emirates Stadium? DId you expect either of those free-kicks from Declan Rice? Do Real Madrid have any chance of overturning their 3-0 deficit in the second leg?

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